Card media, such as plastic credit cards, bank cards, loyalty cards, gift cards, identification cards, and the like, are in broad general use. A typical consumer might have a dozen or more such cards, for example. Fortunately for consumers, their cards are usually distinguishable based on the unique appearance of each, which is typically related to the printing or logos contained on the cards.
As part of their manufacture, and before they reach consumers, these types of cards typically receive various processing treatments, such as printing and magnetic stripe encoding. Printing can provide a desired appearance to a card. For example, a restaurant or retailer can have their logo printed onto plastic cards, which can then be sold to consumers as gift cards. The consumer, in turn, will have a gift card bearing the logo and will be visually reminded of the source of the card.
Known processing equipment for treating card media includes so-called straight-line processing systems. These systems typically use a conveyance device (such as vacuum belt systems, chain systems, belt and roller systems, or combinations of the same) for moving cards between treatment devices along an essentially straight-line path. Treatment devices, such as printers and magnetic stripe encoders, are sensitive to the position of a plastic card on a conveyance device, and improperly positioned cards can result in treatment problems or inconsistencies. Known processing equipment, especially known conveyance devices, provides only limited control over card positioning. This limited control often results in unsatisfactory card treatment, however.
There is a need, therefore, for card processing systems that address one or more of the drawbacks discussed above.